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joking - 3 dictionary results

joke

  [johk] noun, verb, joked, jok⋅ing.
Use joking in a Sentence
–noun
1. something said or done to provoke laughter or cause amusement, as a witticism, a short and amusing anecdote, or a prankish act: He tells very funny jokes. She played a joke on him.
2. something that is amusing or ridiculous, esp. because of being ludicrously inadequate or a sham; a thing, situation, or person laughed at rather than taken seriously; farce: Their pretense of generosity is a joke. An officer with no ability to command is a joke.
3. a matter that need not be taken very seriously; trifling matter: The loss was no joke.
4. something that does not present the expected challenge; something very easy: The test was a joke for the whole class.
5. practical joke.
–verb (used without object)
6. to speak or act in a playful or merry way: He was always joking with us.
7. to say something in fun or teasing rather than in earnest; be facetious: He didn't really mean it, he was only joking.
–verb (used with object)
8. to subject to jokes; make fun of; tease.
9. to obtain by joking: The comedian joked coins from the audience.
Origin:
1660–70; < L jocus jest

Related forms:
jokeless, adjective
jok⋅ing⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. wisecrack, gag, jape, prank, quip, quirk, sally, raillery. Joke, jest refer to something said (or done) in sport, or to cause amusement. A joke is something said or done for the sake of exciting laughter; it may be raillery, a witty remark, or a prank or trick: to tell a joke. Jest, today a more formal word, nearly always refers to joking language and is more suggestive of scoffing or ridicule than is joke: to speak in jest.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To joking
joke   (jōk)   
n.  
  1. Something said or done to evoke laughter or amusement, especially an amusing story with a punch line.
  2. A mischievous trick; a prank.
  3. An amusing or ludicrous incident or situation.
  4. Informal
    1. Something not to be taken seriously; a triviality: The accident was no joke.
    2. An object of amusement or laughter; a laughingstock: His loud tie was the joke of the office.
v.   joked, jok·ing, jokes

v.   intr.
  1. To tell or play jokes; jest.
  2. To speak in fun; be facetious.
v.   tr.
To make fun of; tease.

[Latin iocus; see yek- in Indo-European roots.]
jok'ing·ly adv.
Synonyms: These nouns refer to something that is said or done in order to evoke laughter or amusement. Joke especially denotes an amusing story with a punch line at the end: told jokes at the party.
Jest suggests frolicsome humor: amusing jests that defused the tense situation.
A witticism is a witty, usually cleverly phrased remark: a speech full of witticisms.
A quip is a clever, pointed, often sarcastic remark: responded to the tough questions with quips.
Sally denotes a sudden quick witticism: ended the debate with a brilliant sally.
Crack and wisecrack refer less formally to flippant or sarcastic retorts: made a crack about my driving ability; punished for making wisecracks in class.
Gag is principally applicable to a broadly comic remark or to comic by-play in a theatrical routine: one of the most memorable gags in the history of vaudeville.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

joking

see all joking aside.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
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